It's something serious when the philharmonic has to leave Lincoln Center to put on a show. The occasion this time is truly remarkable: a rare NYC performance of Karlheinz Stockhausen's epic Gruppen for three orchestras (they play simultaneously). This is not just the most exciting thing on the philharmonic's schedule this year; it should also prove to be a contemporary-art event, full stop. The theme of the evening is music prepared with "spatial" concepts in mind—and so the 55,000-square-foot Armory will be put to use for a staging prepared by director Michael Counts. Expect cacophony, expect disorientation, expect a scene. Park Avenue Armory, 643 Park Avenue,nyphil.org

Did you know that Pazz & Jop 2011 winner Merrill Garbus, a/k/a tUnE-yArDs, knows how to write notes down on paper? At the behest of New Amsterdam Records organizers William Brittelle and Judd Greenstein, Garbus has contributed music to a vocal ensemble called Roomful of Teeth. That debut record, new Garbus music included, is scheduled to be released later this year, but this free show presents an opportunity for an advance hearing. World Financial Center, 200 Vesey Street, worldfinancialcenter.com

Morton Subotnick

July 8

Subotnick pioneered electronic music in the '60s with albums like Silver Apples of the Moon, as well as at the San Francisco Tape Music Center, which he co-founded (and where he co-commissioned the first synthesizer from Don Buchla). This "composition-improvisation" performance of "Energy Shapes," presided over by Subotnick, will see him feeding vocals into the Buchla 200e model, manipulating and spinning them out via his own patented process into a work that will probably be hard to describe, other than as a product of Subotnick's inimitable style. Michael Schimmel Center, Pace University, 3 Spruce Street, pace.edu/culture

Dirty Projectors and Wye Oak

July 10

For one of the benefit concerts to support the Celebrate Brooklyn! festival, the indie-rock group will tout the release of their new album, Swing Lo Magellan, which is due to be released on the same day. The addition of Wye Oak—whose most recent effort for Merge Records, Civilian, represented a career high—gives this lineup the slight edge over Wilco (who take their turn celebrating the borough on July 23 and 24). Prospect Park Bandshell, Brooklyn, bricartsmedia.org/performing-arts/celebrate-brooklyn

Neko Case

July 12

This singer-songwriter brings her bottomless vocal technique to the free Lowdown Hudson Blues Festival. Case doesn't have a new record to promote, but so what? The concert will be a top draw simply on the basis of her six-album solo songbook. One evening earlier, Buddy Guy will take care of the guitar side of the blues. World Financial Center, 200 Vesey Street, worldfinancialcenter.com